RESOURCES / SUPPORT

Service order guide

How an Arraystar project is set up: a scoping conversation fixes the design, a quotation and contract follow from it, and samples reach the laboratory with the paperwork that lets them be handled on arrival.

Sample submission guide

01How a project starts

A project begins with the science rather than with an order form: the modification or service of interest, the sample type and the comparisons the study depends on are discussed first, and the quotation and contract are built from that description.

The consultation exists so that the deliverables match the experiment. Recommendations are made from experience, but the design decisions stay with the client, and any change made after the contract is issued is documented in writing so that responsibilities stay clear on both sides.

The same eight steps apply to every service line, from single-base chemistry to array screening, and the paperwork travels with the project number from the first email onwards.

02The steps from inquiry to data delivery

Eight steps take a project from the first email to delivered data. Each one ends with something in writing, so the scope is fixed before the laboratory work begins.

Initial consultation. Send the project basics by email to support@arraystar.com or to your customer service specialist. This is the point at which the modification, the sample type and the design are agreed.
Quotation and service contract. A Quotation is issued together with a Statement of Work and Deliverables, the Terms and Conditions, and a Project Related Information Sheet. The quotation number becomes the project number.
Payment arrangement. Payment is pre-arranged before a project starts; the details are set out in the service contract.
Submission of samples. Complete and sign the Project Related Information Sheet, return it by email, and include a copy inside the package with the samples.
Sample preparation and QC. For cell lines, tissue, blood and biofluids the RNA is prepared by Arraystar; every sample is quality assessed before any experiment, and the Sample QC Reports form part of the final reports.
Experimental processes. Array services cover hybridization, washing and scanning followed by array QC; sequencing services cover library preparation, library QC, cluster generation and sequencing by synthesis.
Bioinformatics. Standardized analysis is delivered as described in the deliverables, and in-depth data mining can be scoped on request.
Data shipment and review. You are notified when the project data is shipped or available for download, and a data review can be requested afterwards with the project number and the questions you want examined.

03What to have ready before you write in

Contact details for the project, including the institution or company and the country, so that the quotation and shipping paperwork match.
The samples: how many there are, the species, and the condition they are in — fresh, frozen, preserved or already extracted.
The experimental design: which service line you expect, and how the samples are grouped or compared.
Any timing or budget constraint the study is working to, and any analysis requirement beyond the standard set for that service.
Anything that has already been measured, such as previous QC results or a pilot experiment, since it usually changes the recommendation.
Open questions you want addressed in the consultation: unusual sample types, low material, or a modification that has more than one possible method.

04Shipping, arrival and QC

Samples are sent to the laboratory by overnight courier, with the paperwork inside the package and the project number on everything.

Shipping address: Arraystar, Inc., 9430 Key West Avenue, Suite 128, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. Telephone 240-314-0388.
Paperwork: put the signed Project Related Information Sheet in a waterproof bag, separate from the samples, and email a copy before shipping.
Project number: reference it on the package and in every enquiry, so the shipment can be matched to the study on arrival.
Timing: avoid shipping on a Thursday or Friday, since a package that arrives at the weekend can sit before it is processed.
Tracking: send the tracking information once the package is on its way, so that receipt can be confirmed against it.
On arrival: you are notified when the samples are received, including any deviation between the submission sheet and the contents, and any problem with the physical condition of the samples.
After QC: if the quality or quantity of a sample is a concern, a specialist contacts you to decide whether to proceed with it, replace it, or leave it out of the study.

05FAQ

What has to be in place before laboratory work can start?

Three things: an agreed design, the payment arrangement, and a signed Project Related Information Sheet. The sheet is what tells the laboratory how the samples are grouped, so it is completed before the package is sent. Payment is pre-arranged before a project starts, with the details set out in the service contract.

Who extracts the RNA from my samples?

For cell lines, tissue, blood and biofluids, extraction is carried out by Arraystar, which is usually the better route for preserved material. If you send extracted RNA instead, it is quality assessed before the experiment begins. Either way the RNA is prepared or checked before library work, and the sample QC reports form part of the final reports.

What happens if a sample does not pass QC?

A specialist contacts you with the result and the options: continue with the sample, replace it, or drop it from the study. The decision is made before library preparation, not after sequencing. Because every sample is assessed on arrival, the choice is made while the design is still open rather than once a result depends on it.

Can the scope of a project change after it starts?

Changes can be discussed, and any change that affects responsibilities or deliverables is documented in writing. Keeping changes on paper is what allows the deliverables to be compared against the agreed scope at the end. Design decisions stay with the client, so a change raised in writing is also how the revision reaches the laboratory.